KRK Kreate 5 Studio Monitor Review: A Choice for the Home Studio Creator?

KRK Systems has long been a go-to for project studio inhabitants. With the new Kreate series, KRK is focusing on affordability and features for content creators and musicians. We're looking at the KRK Kreate 5, the middle child of the Kreate lineup, to see how it performs in a real-world home studio setup.

Design and Build

Right away, you notice the KRK design with their familiar yellow-coned speakers. The monitors themselves feel solid. They are constructed with a PVC vinyl-wrapped MDF enclosure, and the baffle uses MDF with a reinforced High Impact Polystyrene faceplate. At 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) per monitor, they are light enough to move around as needed.

Inside, the Kreate 5 uses a 5-inch woven glass fiber composite cone woofer for low frequencies and a 1-inch woven textile dome tweeter with a neodymium magnet for the highs. This 2-way bass-reflex design is common in monitors this size. Power-wise, it's a bi-amplified system, with 45 watts going to the woofer (Class-D) and 15 watts to the tweeter (Class A/B), for a total of 60 watts continuous power.

Connectivity and Features

The Kreate 5 offers balanced XLR and 1/4" TRS balanced inputs, along with an unbalanced RCA input. One notable addition to the Kreate series is Bluetooth Classic 5.3 with TWS A2DP. While some may scoff at Bluetooth on studio monitors, it's surprisingly useful for casual listening or quickly referencing a track from your phone or tablet without needing to route it through your audio interface. It’s not meant for critical mixing, but for content creators who might switch between producing and playback, this could be a real convenience for quick listening.

Another practical feature is the built-in acoustic boundary conditions and tuning EQ. On the rear panel, you find controls to adjust high and low frequencies. This is a simple but effective way to compensate for less-than-ideal room acoustics. For example, if your room design forces you to put your monitors too close to a wall, you can dial back the low-end to prevent excessive bass buildup. This is a welcome feature, especially for home studios that might not have extensive acoustic treatment.

The Specs

The Kreate 5 offers a frequency response of 58Hz to 40kHz (±3dB), with the -10dB point at 46Hz. For a 5-inch monitor, the low-end is quite present, especially when considering its budget-friendly nature. KRK's woven glass fiber woofers generally aim for a punchy, defined low-mid and low-frequency response, and the Kreate 5 largely delivers on this. Bass lines come through with decent clarity, and kick drums have a noticeable impact.

The 1-inch textile dome tweeter extends up to 40kHz, which is a good range for capturing detail in the upper frequencies. Vocals and cymbals generally sound clear, without being overly harsh, which can be a concern with some budget monitors. The overall sound profile feels balanced, though some might find it has a slight "smile EQ" feel compared to more analytical monitors; meaning a bit more emphasis on the lows and highs. However, this is something many producers find appealing for general listening and even for making initial mixing decisions.

The Max SPL is 105 dB, which is plenty loud for most home studio environments. You won't struggle for volume, and the monitors maintain clarity even at higher levels. The Class-D amplifier for the woofer and Class-A/B for the tweeter help ensure efficient power delivery and keep operating temperatures down during long sessions.

Conclusions

For budding music producers, podcasters, and content creators, the Kreate 5 offers a great starting point. The sound provides enough detail to make informed mixing decisions, and the ability to tune the speakers to your room is an advantage. They deliver a clear, punchy sound with enough detail for music production, and the built-in EQ adjustments are genuinely helpful for optimizing performance in untreated rooms. The Bluetooth feature is a bonus for modern workflows.

The KRK Kreate 5 monitors offer a compelling solution for anyone setting up a home studio on a budget or looking for versatile monitors that can pull double duty for casual listening. If you're after a reliable, affordable set of studio monitors with a bit of extra convenience, the Kreate 5 is certainly worth considering.

Pros

Competitive entry cost

Great for Creators and Podcasters

Bluetooth adds element of flexibility

Cons

Not much at this price point

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